Climate change is the most urgent issue facing our world today. With the recent national adoption of a 43% emissions reduction target, businesses are being held to account and increasingly adopting net zero targets. Yet when it comes to Australian homes, we are lagging behind other first-world countries.

As a nation, we have a reputation of being environmentally conscious and there are areas Aussies are outperforming in reducing emissions, for instance, we have the highest proportion of home solar panels in the world.

According to recent findings from Schneider Electric’s Smart Homes and Sustainability report, many Australians are committed to renewables, with almost a third (31%) stating they would change to a renewable energy supplier – the highest percentage of all countries surveyed. Aussies are also the most likely to recycle (62%) when compared to the likes of Spain, the UK and France.

Despite Australians being invested in creating cleaner homes, we are emitting the largest amount of coal worldwide per capita. Change starts with the individual, which means now is the time for us all to act, but how?

One of the key differences between Australia and other developed countries surveyed is in the adoption of energy-saving smart home technology. The research showed that nearly half of Australian households (46%) do not own any smart home equipment at all.

Smart home technology is crucial to the net zero path because it allows the individual to understand, control, and optimise energy consumption. At present, effective smart homes reduce the cost burden on households by helping them understand their energy usage, regulate consumption, and reduce emissions.

Smart home technology in Australian homes is already providing greater energy efficiency, security, and cost savings as the top benefits for Australian homes according to technology insights company, Telsyte. To implement a well-thought-out electric home design, it is worth considering how all the parts will work together to create a smart ecosystem.

Creating an energy-efficient ecosystem isn’t as hard as it may sound, but it does take planning and forethought. The more that people think about their home’s electrical design as a whole, carefully considering how all of the elements work together, the easier it becomes to create a smarter home that benefits both lifestyle and planet.

Currently, smart speakers are leading the market with one in four Australians owning a Google Nest, Amazon Alexa or similar device, and the numbers are rising dramatically every year. These products can be a great stepping stone to engaging homeowners in the technological potential of their houses, but without connecting functions such as appliances, lighting and AC  control, that potential can’t be realised.

While there are clear benefits to creating smarter homes, there is so much more we can be doing. While many people are now coming to understand the benefits that smart home technology adds to their lifestyle, personal finance and impact on the planet, the challenges remain to ensure greater interconnectivity and control.

There is a growing need for affordable and accessible technologies such as solar panels, electrical vehicle chargers, and integrated smart home solutions. A common misunderstanding is that smart home technology cannot be retrofitted, is expensive, and requires an extensive rewiring of a home.

As technology diversifies and the affordability of smart devices improves, this could mean a huge untapped market as a whole-of-home solution when it comes to tackling climate change.

Previously, these high-end home control systems could only be afforded by the wealthy. Now, mass market adoption is set to ramp up with the launch of new affordable and scalable home automation systems, such as Clipsal Wiser Smart Home, giving all Australians the opportunity to contribute to sustainable living by putting homeowners in control of their energy usage.

This scalable technology allows Australians to control selected functions, or their entire house, with a couple of taps of a phone, a single action, or a simple voice command, and constantly adapt or change these processes.

This article was written by Clipsal by Schneider Electric’s vice president home & distribution, Chris Kerr.